NFL offenses aren’t scoring as much. Nobody knows exactly why.
When New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers walked off the field after the Jets’ 24-3 win against the New England Patriots on Thursday night, he did so after accomplishing something he hadn’t since his final game with the Green Bay Packers two seasons ago: throwing for more than 200 yards.
Rodgers’ passing totals in the first two weeks of this year were 167 and 176 yards, well below his career average of roughly 255 yards per game.
He wasn’t alone with the meager numbers, however.
Through the first two weeks (and one game) of the NFL season, offensive output, particularly passing, has taken a considerable dip, and the explanations for why are all over the board.
The numbers are pretty stark.
Bills banged up heading into MNF
The Jaguars have a very tough task ahead of them, but the Bills won't be at full strength. Linebacker Matt Milano (biceps) was placed on the Injured Reserve list and they ruled out cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) and linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) for Week 3.
Jaguars head coach not worried about 0-2 start
Doug Pederson, when asked this week about the franchise still winless, said he's not ready to "hit the panic button" yet.
"There’s a long season ahead. We’ve got to figure some things out in a hurry… Each person has to look at themselves in the mirror, me included. We’ve got to do better. It’s disappointing. It’s disappointing because there’s glimpses of greatness out there, but it’s not consistent enough.”
It's not as if the Jaguars have been dominated through two weeks. They lost the first two games by a total of eight points.
Trevor Lawrence: 'We suck right now'
Jacksonville is trying to avoid its first 0-3 start since 2021 and the task won't be easy: win on the road in Buffalo.
QB Trevor Lawrence didn't mince words when discussing the state of the offense this week.
“We suck right now," he said. "We know we’ve got a good group, we’ve got good players, and we can be a really good offense, but clearly we’re not. Everybody has to take accountability, look in the mirror and fix it. I’ve got to play better. I’m the leader of this offense. It’s on me."
Andy Dalton’s throwback performance, Rams’ late comeback highlight biggest wins in Week 3
Week 3 of the NFL season was filled with impressive wins — some big-time comebacks, teams getting their first victory of the season and more.
There were plenty of storylines to keep an eye on headed into Sunday. Could Sean McVay get the better of his nemesis, Kyle Shanahan? Which Cowboys team would show up? What would happen in a battle of undefeated squads in Minnesota? And how would the Panthers look without Bryce Young?
Read the full article here on who came away with the biggest wins of the week.
James Cook stepping up for Bills
James Cook has shown flashes since being drafted in the second round out of Georgia in 2022, but this year he's finally putting it all together as the lead back in Buffalo.
Cook is averaging five yards a carry and has already scored two rushing touchdowns — his total scores in each of his first two seasons.
Production won't come easy on Monday as the Jaguars allow 103 yards a game on the ground, the ninth-best rate in the NFL.
Commanders coming off bizarre win
The Commanders have an engaging offense behind rookie QB Jayden Daniels, but in Week 2 they failed to score a single touchdown...and still won the game.
Washington beat the Giants 21-18 in Week 2 thanks to seven field goals from new kicker Austin Seibert.
Daniels, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has looked sharp but has failed to find the end zone. He has 410 yards passing (with a 75.5% completion rate) but zero scores.
Bengals tend to start off slow under Zac Taylor
Bengals coach Zac Taylor has made Cincinnati perennial Super Bowl contenders since taking over in 2019 but one area has always haunted him: slow starts.
His team is now 0-2 for third straight season. They are 6-13-1 in September all-time under Taylor. The good news? He hasn't been 0-3 since his first year at the helm.